Sales in the adult book segment rose 2.3% in April, over April 2014, according to figures released by the AAP. The increase was led by double-digit gains in downloaded audio and hardcover; these gains helped offset a 7.0% decline in e-book sales.
April sales in the children’s/young adult category fell 12.6% with e-book sales plunging 51.6% in the month and hardcover sales off 12.1%. Board books were a bright spot in the category with sales up 36.2%.
April was a bad month for religious presses, where sales fell 19.9%. For the first four months of the year, sales in the segment were down 9.2% compared to the same period in 2014.
The figures, released as part of the AAP's StatShot program, are based on sales from 1,210 publishers.
